To the Nines
by Dizzydodo
Summary: When attending Donovan Hock's party, Shepard draws the line at dresses; which is fine given that Liara thinks she looks much better in that suit anyway. Kinkmeme fill; rated for sexual situations.
1. Chapter 1

I'm still working on Blood Runs Red, but I wrote this a short while ago and forgot to post it here.

It's a little rough around the edges, but I just couldn't resist.

* * *

Shepard frowned at her reflection in the mirror; no matter which way she looked at it, this was just wrong. The heels were too high for sprinting, the dress was too tight to permit swift movement and that necklace could easily be used as a lethal weapon in close-quarters combat. No, this wouldn't do.

"Kasumi, I'm not wearing this."

"Come on, you look great! You should really try wearing a dress more often, it does a lot to show off your figure." Kasumi smiled teasingly, "I bet Liara would like it."

Shepard looked at the dress with new eyes, considering her lover's potential reaction. No. Still wouldn't do; she loved Liara dearly but surely she would prefer her lover back in one piece.

"I can still dress nicely without… this. There are some pin-striped suits in the window. That should be enough to appease Hock's rigid aesthetics.

Kasumi pursed her lips, tapping a foot impatiently. "It's just this once. What do you have against dresses anyway? This is the cutting edge of fashion, Shepard." She sounded a little offended, but then Shepard had been trying on dresses for the past hour at least and her patience was wearing every bit as thin.

"This isn't a social call, if something goes wrong we can expect to see some action and I am not going to get caught in the cross-fire with this little scrap of material. These heels could double as knives I'll grant you, but they're just as likely to trip me up. No. We go with a suit. It's final."

"The dress-"

"Is beautiful. You should consider wearing it, but if I'm going to be "Allison Gunn" then _I'm_ going to be Allison Gunn, and she doesn't wear dresses either."

Kasumi rolled her eyes. "Fine. I concede the point."

Shepard brightened until Kasumi's finger shot up in a halting motion, "On the condition that I choose your suit."

Shepard pondered for a moment, noting the increasingly vexed look on Kasumi's face; she wanted to choose her outfit herself, but then again she desperately wanted out of this shop and back aboard her ship. Giving in to Kasumi would be the fastest way to accomplish that ergo… "Fine. I reserve veto power, but as long as it's nothing too crazy you can choose."

Kasumi beamed, rushing from the changing room before she had the chance to reconsider. Shepard couldn't quite suppress her worried frown; Kasumi and she had vastly different ideas of what was practical, but she had to admit that the thief had excellent taste. Nothing for it but to trust her, Kasumi would know better than to go for something completely out of line, or so she hoped.

By the time Kasumi stepped back into the room, Shepard had resigned herself to a miserable evening in a stiff tux sipping lukewarm champagne without even the promise of a stolen kiss or two. Even those less than inspiring thoughts evaporated when she saw the offering Kasumi presented, "That's perfect."

"I thought you would approve."

Shepard hurriedly stripped out of the dress, uncaring of Kasumi's presence, only relieved to have it off. She slipped into the new suit as quickly as she could, fumbling with the buttons of her shirt in her haste; it felt suspiciously like silk against her calloused fingertips and Shepard grinned at the thought of what Liara would say if she could see her now. She would have to take this back to Illium, perhaps she could even find someplace to wear it there. Shepard tilted her head back as Kasumi's deft fingers slipped her tie into a Double Windsor and stepped back to admire her work.

They both took a moment to ogle the reflection in the mirror appreciatively; black was undoubtedly her color, emphasizing the paleness of her skin and darkening her eyes, her legs seemed a little longer and the waistcoat emphasized the curve of her breasts and hips. She wished even more that Liara had been here to see, indulged in a brief fantasy of snatching a kiss as she helped her to dress. Better even, helped her to undress.

Shepard shook her head to clear it of the image; that would just have to wait until she came back. Liara was a talented information broker, but Kasumi was a professional and even if Liara had somehow managed to track her movements she certainly couldn't afford to leave Illium right now.

Shepard grinned rakishly at her reflection, at least she had the satisfaction of knowing it would be a surprise.

"We can go as soon as you're done making eyes at yourself, Shepard." She could hear the suppressed laughter in Kasumi's voice and snapped out of her reverie quickly.

"What are we waiting for? Let's go."

* * *

When Shepard exited her quarters a few hours later she was surprised to find Miranda and Kasumi both lurking outside; Garrus seemed to have just joined the party, leaning back against the wall nonchalantly as he watched the two women talking. Shepard paused, "Is there something I should know?"

She barely caught the smile that flitted across Miranda's features, "No, Commander. Kasumi warned me you were playing dress- up tonight; since I can't be there to see you in action I thought I might drop by to see for myself."

"She means you look sharp, Shepard." Garrus chirped, "Nice emphasis on the waist."

Shepard laughed outright, "You should've seen the slinky black number Kasumi tried prodding me into. Would have done Miranda proud."

"Is there any particular significance to that statement, Shepard?" Miranda's voice had dropped to that register that always preceded a tantrum, not that Miranda would ever admit to anything so undignified as a tantrum. "Cutting edge fashion; you would have been proud to wear it. I think the monkey-suit is more my speed." Shepard winked teasingly and Miranda relaxed as her arms fell back to her sides; the danger had passed.

Garrus cut in quickly, "Joker wants you to drop by the cockpit so he can see; I wouldn't, you'll end up on the extranet with your cover blown."

"Duly noted. We need to get a move on anyway or we're going to be late."

Kasumi shook her head, "Philistines, it is always best to be fashionably late. Besides, I'm not sure Allison Gunn would care one way or the other."

"I do. We need to be there early enough to scout out the terrain."

Miranda and Kasumi both laughed while Shepard and Garrus looked on in confusion. "Everything is a battle-field, right?" Kasumi snickered.

Shepard scowled, "It's a valid concern. Donovan Hock doesn't take chances. We have no way of knowing if this is going to come off without a hitch, but my money is on No. Nothing is ever this easy and this man is in charge of a criminal empire. If he were stupid, he'd be dead."

Kasumi sobered instantly, "Point taken. We should go, I'll brief you on your background en route."

Shepard bowed playfully, offering an arm to Kasumi. "Very nice, Shepard. Be careful though, Liara's bound to be jealous."

Shepard chuckled, "What she doesn't know won't kill me, right?"

"Assuming there's anything she doesn't know. Information broker, remember?"

"I know. She'll forgive me." Shepard's smile was wistful; as much as she enjoyed Kasumi's company she would far rather it were Liara on her arm now. Then again they could be walking straight into hell; Shepard offered up thanks that she was far away instead, there was no way she would have agreed to sit out otherwise.

Shepard made her way to the pod, Kasumi hanging on her arm, jokingly cooing sweet nothings to the air. Shepard was too busy basking in the attention she drew to do more than chuckle perfunctorily. Jacob whistled as she walked into the CIC, "You wear that better than I could, Commander."

"Damn straight, Taylor; uniform suits you better." Shepard giggled at the unintended pun and stifled it quickly lest Kasumi should hear. Damn, she was practically drunk already and she wasn't even off the ship.

Kelly stepped forward swiftly, a mischievous smirk on her features; "Commander, as your assistant I feel it is my duty to inform you that your tie is crooked." Shepard glanced down sheepishly, maybe she should have let Kasumi dress her again, even if it did make her feel a little like a child. Kelly straightened her tie professionally and then smoothed her hands down her shirtfront to ensure no creases were left.

Kasumi batted her hand away playfully, "Paws off. She's all mine for the evening."

"Speaking of, I think we officially count for 'fashionably late', now we're verging into insultingly absent." Shepard muttered.

Kasumi sighed in mock exasperation. "Alright, Alright. We can go. I was just showing off a little, but I want to make it clear that suit or no suit, I drive."

Shepard huffed, "Anything you want if we can just go and get this over with. Much as I'm enjoying the attention this is getting a little warm."

Shepard allowed Kelly to turn her around and push her forward, "Then stop flirting and go."


	2. Chapter 2

Shepard glanced around warily at the fashionable crush. After a brief and admittedly frustrating debacle at the door with Donovan Hock Kasumi had been forced to seek another means of entry, leaving Shepard to navigate the party alone.

She had made a thorough sweep of the room, scouting out potential exits and any natural barriers she could take advantage of if this didn't play out right. The balcony in particular had attracted her attention, there were fewer guards out there than there were within. Thanks to Hock's careful planning, at least she could be sure that none of the guests were armed, it simplified her work immensely.

Shepard paused when her ear-piece crackles, "Shepard, I need you to look for any sort of switches or pressure plates; there's a biotic field here but no sign of any way to disarm it."

"Copy." She muttered, smiling at an asari who eyed her askance.

She made her careful way to the bookshelf, ostensibly examining the titles, if she were going to put in any sort of mechanism it would be somewhere the guests wouldn't be expected to go, somewhere like… there. The plaster cast on the table made a satisfying click as she turned it.

"Try it now."

She could hear a smirk in Kasumi's voice when she replied. "Got it. As you were."

Shepard wrinkled her nose, "As _you_ were." Kasumi's tinkling laughter followed her back out to the balcony and into the main atrium.

"Too soon to tell, but we might have a problem on your hands." Kasumi murmured.

"What's that?" Shepard smiled at a server, gesturing to his tray.

He frowned perplexedly, "It's champagne, ma'am?"

"It's heading your way, you should see it any minute now. Don't get too worked up; we can handle it."

"Kasumi." Shepard growled threateningly.

"No, ma'am. It's Walter."

Shepard sent the server a pitying look, if she blew her cover it would be none of his doing. The last thing she needed was another glass of champagne, she gestured him away and watched as he hurried to put as much distance between them as possible. She really wasn't cut out for these undercover sort of affairs.

Surprisingly she found she was enjoying herself though; a few sips of champagne, some idle chatter with the other guests stowing away any incriminating comments they made for later review, all had her feeling a bit giddy. Of course, she tried to remember that they were on a mission; Kasumi could have need of her at any moment, but for now her job was to mingle and look natural. She glanced around the floor curiously, evaluating her choices carefully. Kasumi had said she was going to go to work on Hock's safe so she should probably confine herself to the outskirts of the party, the better to disappear when Kasumi called for her.

With that thought in mind, Shepard made her slow way to the alcove off the main hall where myriad pictures hung and artsy statuettes propped up every wall. She smiled flirtatiously at a younger woman engaged in conversation with a salarian, tipping a wink when she saw the answering smile. There really must be something in the drinks, normally she wouldn't have even considered playing these games; she was beginning to think the suit might have been a bad idea after all, clearly it was clouding her judgment.

Shepard moved to the wall, leaning against it nonchalantly, she gestured to a server gracefully and took another glass of champagne. This was her third, right? She had to knock it off after this one or she wouldn't be able to shoot straight, but then Kasumi seemed to have the situation under control, a few more sips couldn't hurt. The brunette woman sauntered toward her, snatching a flute gracefully from the tray as the server passed; it seemed she had been a little too inviting, now she was going to have to find a way to defuse the situation before she ended up cheating on Liara. That could prove hazardous to her health, not to mention heart-breaking for both of them.

As the woman neared, another guest intercepted her, an asari in a backless, low-cut violet dress. Shepard couldn't see her face, but there was something in her stance that reminded her of Liara. Wishful thinking; Liara was safe on Illium, not dabbling here with crime lords. And then the asari turned toward her, gesturing the other woman away sharply.

Shepard gaped, Liara- here.

What the hell was she doing here? How did she…? When?

Liara glided forward smoothly, "You're staring, Gunn. It's considered quite rude, I understand."

"What are you doing here?" Shepard snapped; suddenly she wasn't looking forward to any sort of action, she just wanted Liara out of here and safe.

"Information broker, remember? I was going through my files and found mention of an 'Allison Gunn', mercenary extraordinaire. I was concerned; I had never heard of her before, and yet she seemed so prolific. I did some research and imagine my shock when I found your image attached to the identity, with your name on an invitation to one of Donovan Hock's infamous gatherings. I couldn't let that pass unchallenged… Gunn."

Liara's eyes narrowed as she glanced across the crowd to the human woman, now gossiping with her partner once more, shooting the occasional venomous look in Liara's direction. "Were you enjoying yourself?"

Shepard swallowed nervously; she had nothing to apologize for, she had done nothing wrong but there was something in Liara's tone that set her on edge. "I was wishing you were here, but now that you are, I'm not certain it was such a good idea."

"I can see that."

"Liara, I'm not exactly here for a good time; Kasumi and I have something to find and appropriate. It was a hassle just to get in, Kasumi didn't make it past inspection. Speaking of, how exactly did you get in? I don't think your title would carry much weight with this crowd."

"It doesn't. Like you, I created a new face; it was a little easier for me, you are Commander Shepard after all."

Shepard's eyes widened, "Keep it down, it won't go well for either of us if that gets out."

"You think he doesn't know? I'm not so sure."

Liara smiled briefly, a hand reaching out to smooth down the line of her suit; "I like you in this outfit, but you really should have worn a bow-tie. Easier for me, I suppose."

"How-" Liara's hand twined in the fabric of her tie to pull her down for a brief but hard kiss, her other hand pushing Shepard back into the wall. Shepard groaned softly, any chance she had of dismissing Liara as a casual acquaintance or connection was long gone now, but damn her lips were demanding.

Liara pulled back, licking her swollen lips and panting softly, Shepard caught her breath first, glaring at Liara.

"Relax, Gunn. Just a greeting between lovers- I imagine that hussy will think twice before she approaches you again. That was what you wanted, right?"

Shepard hated to admit it, but she was finding this possessive facet of Liara endlessly fascinating; she was more than just the shy archaeologist from Therum, that much had been made clear during their meeting on Illium, but she hadn't known until now just how deep the differences ran.

Shepard pulled her close, curving a firm arm around her waist to tuck her into her side, "I think you've made me the envy of the party."

Liara smiled, "You're a flatterer. Don't think though that I haven't seen those glances you've been throwing to every available female here. I won't forget that so easily."

Shepard pressed a soft kiss to her cheek, walking in step with her as they made their way toward a portrait on the far wall.

"I needed some reason for being here, I lost my escort at the door; it wasn't going anywhere."

Liara hummed softly, opening her mouth to comment and Shepard froze, hearing the crackle of her comm.

"Shepard, his security is pretty airtight; I need a voice sample, and then we need to find a DNA sample."

"Leave it to me."

"Have you met the new guest yet?"

"She's here with me, thanks for the heads up."

Kasumi chuckled, "What does she think of the suit, anything special?"

"Damn it, you were watching us." Shepard whispered forcefully. "I shouldn't have to remind you that we have a job to do."

"Like I said, I need a few more phonemes. See what you can do."

Liara was grinning excitedly, "I take it that was Kasumi? What does she need help with?"

"We have to talk with our gracious host. I think it would be best if you stayed here, I don't want him to make a connection between us."

"It's too late, and I am determined to accompany you."

Shepard sighed gustily and set off, pulling Liara with her at a fast clip.

"Let me do the talking."

"Of course."

It was said in such a meek tone that Shepard glanced over in dismay; "meek" was not a word one could typically apply to Liara once she had the bit in her teeth so to speak. It was with no small amount of trepidation that Shepard began to approach her mark, Liara hanging on her arm and simpering oddly. Where had the stubborn Liara gone? The possessive one that had voiced displeasure in her casual flirtations? This couldn't be good.

Shepard smiled widely as she came within view of Donovan Hock, if Kasumi only lacked data on his cadence and a few phonemes then it really shouldn't matter how she went about coaxing him to speak; Carte Blanche to be as rude as she pleased.

"This is quite the party, Hock. I wonder which of your little expeditions you used to fund it?"

_Don't talk business_ Kasumi had said, now to see what would happen if she challenged that directly.

She was sadly disappointed when he turned to look at her, sneering slightly; "I'm sorry, _Gunn_. I was speaking with my colleague and did not see you approach. Did you have a question?"

He turned back before she could speak again and Shepard fumed inwardly, she was not used to being so casually dismissed; Liara patted her arm warningly as she gestured to a server with her other hand, just what had got into her?

"I was just wondering if you were using your connections on Noveria to pay for this little soiree."

Hock stiffened, spinning on his heel to glare at her again, "I'm sure you can appreciate my need for discretion, Ms. Gunn; given your own line of business? I hope you will-" He cried out as a cascade of wine spilled over his white suit, Liara frozen in the act of knocking the tray over. For a moment her face lit with unmistakably smug pleasure before being replaced with false horror.

"I'm so sorry, did you get any on your suit?" She ignored Hock in favor of patting at Shepard's spotless sleeve.

"Son of a-! Gunn, would you-?"

Shepard shook with wicked laughter, this moment was too perfect. That crystalline second when the frustration written in his eyes had transformed into sheer horror would occupy a cherished place in her memories of this night, as would Liara's self-satisfied smile.

"Who are you?" He fumed, motioning furiously for a towel. As Liara opened her mouth to respond he cut her off, "Never mind. It is irrelevant. Jut get _out_."

Shepard sobered, surreptitiously wiping tears from her eyes, she had forgotten for a moment that she too had hoped Liara would leave, but this was as good a time as any.

"It's been an eventful evening, my thanks for the invitation, but if you will excuse us, we have other matters to attend to."

"Yes, by all means." His voice was thick with sarcasm and disdain, if she hadn't known they would be robbing him blind later she might have been offended; as it was, she made a note to look for something special in his collection to give to Liara as a commemoration of their joint effort.

"Did you get what you needed?" Shepard muttered.

"Only just," Kasumi sighed; "I wonder if you could try to be a little more cooperative next time? You know, for variety."

"As long as we have what we need I'm sure it's fine."

"Will Liara be joining us?"

"Absolutely not, she's going to meet us back at the Normandy."

"I thought I had made it excessively clear that I would be accompanying you for the evening?"

"Not this time; this is a little more personal and I don't want him to have even more reason to remember your face."

"There was a time your orders would have been sufficient to deter me, Shepard. Now, we are not aboard your ship and you do _not_ have the right to restrict my movements."

"Liara, please. This is going to be dangerous."

"And I have never been in danger before?"

"Let's not argue-"

"We're already arguing; we can stop as soon as you concede the point."

Kasumi cut in before she could respond, "Whatever your decision, make it fast. I have another problem."

Shepard groaned, "What is it this time?"

"I need some DNA from Hock."

"Like blood?" Shepard chirped gleefully.

Liara shook her head despairingly, "I take it we need a DNA sample? Hair would serve just as well. Shepard."

Shepard wilted slightly, "Fine. Kasumi, do you know where his rooms are?"

"Look for the door that actually has guards; I leave any further details to you. Actually, put Liara on this one; I don't want to know how you would do it."

"Ten- four. Liara in charge."

Liara smirked, "I like the sound of that."

Liara chuckled on the uneasiness apparent on Shepard's face; "I take it you don't?"

"Surprisingly, all the trouble we have landed ourselves in this evening can be traced directly back to you."

"An interesting theory. Evidence?"

Shepard snorted, hooking an affectionate arm about Liara's waist as she she headed toward the balcony; "We had a plan; sneak in, steal a few things, sneak out. When you appeared, the plan changed."

"Only because there were factors you had not accounted for."

Shepard spoke over her objection, "And then, when we finally found a way around the new impediment, you deliberately antagonized our host."

"That has no bearing on anything; it's not as though he would have simply told you the key to his safe mechanisms, or did you plan to seduce him?"

Liara smiled teasingly, tugging at her dress shirt. "Not a bad idea; I might try that yet."

"Shepard, if you so much as tease there is every chance you will not leave here alive." Liara nipped her arm playfully, half-teasing, but her eyes said she was a little offended at the jest.

"And where are we going?" She murmured, "His rooms are back that way."

"We don't have clearance to enter his quarters, and I don't feel like arguing with his lackeys/ I saw a balcony back here that should do the trick."

Liara sighed despairingly, "Kasumi said I was in charge, you're going to have to give up command sometime, Gunn." She nudged her in the ribs warningly.

"You can be in charge later; this is a good idea, and you know it."

"I'll hold you to that, Shepard." There was a certain darkly satisfied undertone to her voice that made Shepard's skin prickle in intimate awareness.

"And this is _not_ a good idea. I am in a gown and you're in a suit, and they will probably both be ruined."

"I remember hearing that you should never wear the same outfit twice, anyway."

"If you _were_ Allison Gunn that might be acceptable."

"Tonight, I am. Remember that." Shepard leered and Liara rolled her eyes, smiling fondly.

They slowed as they approached the balcony railing, peering over to the balcony below.

"It's not unguarded; let me go first."

"I remember hearing that it was customary to let ladies go first. Besides, there is the old adage about age before beauty."

Shepard moved almost before she had the last word out, swarming fluidly over the railing and dropping to the surface below.

Liara hissed in dismay, promising herself a satisfying revenge before all this was through. Sure enough, no sooner had Shepard landed than she was accosted by two guards; her suit was stiff and her movements ungainly, but with a little help from her lover's biotics they soon lay unconscious at her feet. Liara kicked off her heels, vaulting over the railing quickly to land gracefully beside Shepard.

As she bent to slip her shoes in again she was shocked to feel Shepard's hand running teasingly up her thigh, squeezing her ass appreciatively. "Damn, I like this dress. You should wear it more often."

"I thought you said a dress wasn't meant to be worn more than once?"

"I've been known to make mistakes on occasion."

Liara shoved her inside briskly, twisting to pin her to a wall as her fingers twined through her hair. Their lips met with a desperate lust, each frantic to taste their lover on their lips.

Shepard pulled back first, drawing on Liara's lower lip, licking at the bruises she left teasingly. "We have a job to do, but when we're done I suggest you accompany me back to the Normandy for a more personal debriefing."

Shepard gasped in shock just before Liara took her lips again, hands gliding down to fist in the material of her suit. "Kasumi said _I_ was in charge."

Just one minute couldn't hurt; the length of Liara's body was pressed so temptingly against her, the warmth of her lips was almost relaxing until she began pulling at Shepard's shirt, her shockingly warm hands sending tingles up her lover's spine.

Shepard leaned into her, deepening the kiss and pulling Liara closer, callused hands running down the open back of her dress to slip beneath the material.

She tried to pull back when one of Liara's hands cupped her breast, lifting the weight, her thumb circling the nipple at a maddeningly slow pace.

"Liara, we can't-" She cut off at the feel of Liara's clever fingers working the buckle of her belt, pulling it away to slide a hand beneath the soft material.

"Nothing beneath? Shepard, were you expecting me?"

When Liara smiled like that there was nothing she could do save kiss her again, tensing as Liara's hand slipped lower to cup her heat, nails digging into the sensitive flesh of her breast.

Liara pushed her back again, "You look so dashing in this suit, I can't wait to take it off."

Shepard growled in frustration, "Too risky here; we finish the mission and then we can worry about clothing options."

"I thought that was what you loved about being a Spectre… the risk."

"Liara, no-"

"I can change your mind. Sweet goddess, you're wet already. No use protesting, I think."

Shepard's knees buckled, two of Liara's fingers swirling her wetness about her clit as another teased along her slit, never quite dipping in.

"Don't worry; I'm in charge. No one will blame you for obeying your superior."

"That's not the way it works- SHIT! Kasumi!"

Shepard clawed at her ear, desperately trying to remove the transmitter; she could hear tinkling laughter over the link. Fuck. How had she forgotten that? A becoming flush raced over her features and Liara pressed a comforting kiss to her neck, biting down sharply. "Don't take it out."

"The hell-"

Liara's fingers began a frantic pace and Shepard clutched at her shoulders for balance, caught off guard.

"Leave it in, I said." Liara's smile turned predatory, "I'm going to make you scream."

She sucked in a breath as Liara raked her nails down her stomach, leaning forward to pull at the buttons with her teeth; one popped off and fell to the ground, bouncing along the floor.

"See what you've done. The shirt's ruined."

"Not yet." Liara purred; another button joined the first, her tongue darting into the gap to lick at irritated flesh.

Shepard struggled to speak, but between Liara's attentions and her embarrassment it was becoming increasingly difficult.

"Can't go back upstairs. You have to stop."

"All you have to do is say no. And mean it." She pushed her thumb into Shepard's heat, swirling it around in the moisture for emphasis. "There's bound to be something in Hock's closet you can appropriate. Or Kasumi and I could finish this alone… better yet, we could move to the bed for now and worry about this later."

"No."

"You're right; this is much more fun."

There was an ominous rending sound as Liara tore at the front of her shirt, Shepard found her shriek muffled by the warm weight of Liara's lips, her tongue pushing in to explore her lover's mouth. The fabric of her dress seemed rough against Shepard's bare skin, though a moment ago it had seemed as soft as the body it concealed.

Liara rubbed against her provocatively, using her palm now to massage Shepard's clit, her fingers pushing against Shepard's walls, pulling her into the thrusts of her lover's hands. Shepard slid down the wall slowly, legs opening as far as the dress pants would permit; Liara followed her, kneeling on the floor, her gaze locking with Shepard's challengingly.

"Still eager to leave?"

Shepard swallowed hard, fighting not to gasp. She hadn't heard another peep from Kasumi, had the thief elected to let them have this time alone? Not likely.

"Answer me."

"No. Stay." Her voice was curiously hoarse, but as long as that was all that was required of her…

Liara's rough caress gentled and slowed, "Tell me why you want to stay, Shepard."

Shepard shook her head stubbornly, arching her hips into Liara's palm to generate the friction she craved.

Liara traced her fingertips over Shepard's clit, her touch so light it was hardly there. She leaned forward to take a peaked nipple into her mouth, her tongue laved around it, teeth nipping lightly. She pulled away from Shepard's pants, fingers tracing moisture over the neglected nipple. Shepard tilted her head away, conflicted despite herself. It had been so long since they had just _played_ like this. Then again, this _really_ wasn't the time.

Damn it to hell, why not? Hock wasn't here; he had a roomful of notable guests to entertain; Kasumi was probably monitoring comm traffic and she clearly knew exactly what they were up to. Maybe it was the champagne clouding her judgment but at the moment this didn't seem like such a terrible idea. Especially not with Liara tonguing a trail down her middle, leaving tiny love-bites here and there.

"I'm still waiting, Shepard."

"I'm going to get you back for this. Just wait until you're aboard my ship; this might not seem like such a great idea when the tables are turned." Shepard stuttered to a stop when Liara slid the rest of the way down, pressing her mouth to Shepard's center and licking up into her. Shepard dug her fingers into Liara's crest, nails tracing the shallow grooves there. Liara moaned softly and Shepard shuddered, canting her hips to Liara's greedy mouth.

She cried out when Liara's thumb brushed across her clit, tongue following the path of moisture she had traced there. Shepard curled into herself, Liara's palm at her hip limiting her movement somewhat. She arched and gasped as her climax hit her; Liara chuckled softly, determined to take every bit of the wetness from her lover's body.

Shepard simply lay in silence for a moment, her hand brushing Liara's face absently; "Rest assured. You're going to get it; don't be smug."

"Promises, promises. I never said I was finished with you, Shepard. We have business to attend to now. You should tidy up."

Liara rose and Shepard was relieved to note she was a little shaky on her feet, her hand brushing between her legs surreptitiously. Poor darling, still hot and bothered; that would make her vengeance all the sweeter when her chance came later.

"Let's finish up here and get the hell home."

Liara laughed, "We have to find a way to fix that shirt, first." She pulled the jacket together, frowning at it critically.

"I'm beginning to rethink the buttons."

Shepard smirked, "Too late now. Guess I'm just gonna have to go topless."

Liara's eyes sparked dangerously, "Don't take that risk, Shepard. I fear if anyone looked at you the way I do I would have to claw their eyes out."

Shepard smiled contentedly, she loved when Liara cut up possessive, but their primary task now was getting out with only a modicum of attention.

"I hate to interrupt this charming conversation, " Kasumi's voice sounded a little breathy, "but we still need Hock's DNA and I need you two up here ASAP."

"Hock's wardrobe it is! Care to help me dress? Last time Kasumi-" Liara stopped her mid-explanation by the simple expedient of a deep kiss, already pulling her toward the wardrobe.


	3. Chapter 3

Shepard exchanged another lingering glance with Liara as they climbed into the vehicle; the ride back was going to be a little crowded- they hadn't been expecting another passenger, but if Liara sat on her lap they should just be able to fit.

It was fortunate that Kasumi was lost in a haze of thought, doubtless reliving memories of the mission gone wrong that had ended here; relieved to have the gray box in her possession, but regretting its necessity. It had been surprisingly easy to find, and not much harder to acquire; Shepard had been expecting more of a struggle, but between Kasumi's sneak tactics, her pistols and Liara's biotics they had made short work of their foes. And Hock's priceless antiquities collection, much to Kasumi's regret.

She had even managed to find a special commemoration of the occasion for Liara; namely, Hock's diamond cuff links. She thought Liara would see the humor in the gift, but even if she didn't she should appreciate what they did to make the suit look sharper. The suit she was _definitely_ going to wear again, assuming it survived their private celebrations.

Shepard settled into the seat and pulled Liara in after her, silencing her protests before they had even begun with a cavalier smile and a wink. Kasumi glanced at them from the corner of her eye, her lips quirked upward in what might otherwise have been a smile, but short of that she ignored them once more.

Shepard sighed happily; it wasn't every day she got to _see_ Liara anymore, let alone hold her like this, though she found the position rather distracting. For one thing, Liara's warmth in her lap was rekindling the heat between her legs, and her breasts were pressed firmly against Shepard's own, so that she could feel every inch of her profile outlined against the cotton of her stolen shirt. Liara buried her face in her lover's throat and Shepard gritted her teeth, biting back a soft sigh at the feel of Liara's breath against her vulnerable flesh. This ride back was going to be torture.

Unless she could take the opportunity for a little bit of payback; Liara had been rather unsympathetic to her protests that it really wasn't the time for dalliance, this could be her chance to turn a deaf ear.

As the pod lifted off, Liara started at the feel of fingers teasing their way up the exposed skin of her leg; she lifted her face from Shepard's neck and glared at her impertinent lover. Shepard's face remained smooth as her nails followed a meandering path up Liara's calf.

Liara pressed her face into Shepard's throat once more; Shepard jumped at the feel of her teeth clamping down, her tongue swirling over the bruised skin.

Kasumi momentarily awakened from her trance, "Alright, Shepard?"

"Fine. Did we forget anything?" That ought to do it.

Kasumi gave her an odd look, "No. We have everything we came for." There was definitely a question in her tone, but Shepard chose to ignore it; she could feel Liara's shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter.

"Good." Shepard' thumb hooked into the fabric of Liara's underwear, pulling it away slightly to replace it with her hand. Liara gasped softly and shifted, unsure whether she wanted to arch into the touch or pull away. Shepard pressed her mouth to her ear, "Silk and lace? Naughty. What color are they?"

* * *

Liara's breathing stuttered as one of Shepard's fingers dipped into her slit to spread her lips so another could gather the increasing wetness there. This had to stop, Kasumi would see. Shepard pecked her cheek affectionately, but her smile was all wicked intentions. Liara stared at her disbelievingly, when Shepard said there would be payback she hadn't expected it to take quite this form.

A small squeak escaped her lips, sounding unnaturally loud in the enclosed space; Kasumi glanced over once more. "Okay?"

"Fine." Liara tried to say, but Shepard's thumb pushed back the hood of her clit to brush over the concealed nub softly and she was forced to smile instead. Her blush would certainly keep her warm at least. Liara started when she felt Shepard's other hand insinuating itself beneath her ass, clutching at the firm flesh; Shepard hummed approvingly and Liara's smile froze on her face.

"Did you have fun?" Kasumi was frowning now; they couldn't keep this up much longer.

"Yes. Of course." Liara's breath left her when Shepard massaged her lips gently, sparking fire wherever she touched.

"Glad to hear it."

"You know Liara, you kind of owe Kasumi an apology; forcing her to eavesdrop like that was very rude." Shepard's voice was infuriatingly even, her fingers had ceased their work. Now her rough palm was stroking up the inside of her thigh, fingers splayed out and nails scratching carefully as she neared her center again.

"I was-"

Liara choked as Shepard's palm suddenly moved up, pressing between her folds again. Shepard was a damn strategist, always scheming to catch her foes off-guard. Tonight, she had decided Liara counted as such a one.

Kasumi waved it off; a winning blush spread over her cheeks. "I wasn't exactly complaining. Sorry, Shepard."

"No harm, no foul." Shepard's voice was too cheery, a little short, but Liara didn't think Kasumi had caught that.

Liara spread her legs a little wider, shifting to bring herself closer to Shepard's touch.

"Wanton." Shepard breathed into her ear, "do you really want to keep this up right here? We could be caught."

Liara bit her lip savagely, and it was all Shepard could do not to lean forward and draw it into her own mouth, but that would give the game away.

Without warning she pushed three of her fingers roughly into her lover, stretching her almost to the point of pain as she twisted. Liara's muscles tightened, she drew her knees up and canted her hips the smallest degree. She prayed against hope that Kasumi's attention was fixated elsewhere because she wasn't sure how much longer she could last.

Shepard pressed her fingers into her with an almost savage force, drawing them mostly out only to plunge them back in with another twist, her thumb brushing against Liara's clit at every inward stroke. She could feel the flex of Shepard's muscles as she moved; her hips were shifting beneath Liara's own, subtly grinding against her in a vain search for relief. How much longer would it take to get back to the blasted ship?

As though her thoughts had summoned it, there was the Normandy, prepared to receive them with the docking bay doors open. Wonderful. Shepard caught her eye and glanced at Kasumi, pushing her fingers in one last time and rubbing furious circles around her clit until Liara's legs jerked and trembled with the effort of holding off her release. She grit her teeth and breathed through them, praying that she would win this battle of wills.

Shepard leaned forward, her breasts rubbing against Liara's sensitive nipples through the fabric of her dress as she pressed her hot mouth to Liara's ear once more. "You need to be quiet." Her other hand forced Liara onto her fingers, nails digging into her ass sharply and pushing her forward; her weak knees didn't serve to brace her and she felt oddly light.

Her head rolled back on her shoulders as Shepard pushed her into orgasm, catching her in the crook of her arm when her body ceased to cooperate with her. She barely muffled the cry that sought to escape her, mouth opening in helpless ecstasy,

Kasumi was alarmed, "Shepard, how much did she have to drink? You need to sober her up pretty quickly; put on some coffee when we get back."

"She can sleep it off. There's nowhere we need to be and my cabin has some extra space."

A shadow of suspicion crossed Kasumi's face and she glanced to a recovering Liara once again, now supporting herself against Shepard's shoulders.

"Not tonight I think; you two had enough fun at Hock's party."

"I wouldn't take advantage of an intoxicated asari!" Shepard's voice brimmed with false indignation.

"Can it really be counted as taking advantage when she's my girl though?" That sultry purr was more like it. This wasn't finished by a long shot.

* * *

It took them forever just to get to the elevator, stopping every few feet to steal a kiss; somewhere along the way Liara had lost her heels and Shepard's jacket was MIA, she had a vague memory of stripping it from her shoulders as she tried to press closer to her warmth.

Finally they stumbled through the doors of the elevator, Liara fell back against the wall, pulling Shepard with her by her tie as her lover slammed the button for the lift before turning back to more pressing matters. She had known that tie would be useful for something. Shepard needed no further urging, sweeping forward and boosting Liara up onto the wall of the elevator.

The cold air raised goosebumps on her flesh as Shepard pulled at her skirts, slipping her underwear down her legs and slipping it into her pocket. "For later." She whispered just before Liara took her mouth in another kiss. Shepard pushed her up farther until Liara curled her legs about her waist, using the wall as leverage to arch against Shepard, whose warm hands settled beneath her to push her more firmly into contact.

They reveled in each other without shame, nipping, stroking and licking until any sense of finesse had long since vanished. They just barely registered the sound of the doors opening onto Shepard's floor and it was a few seconds more until they bothered with stumbling out into the hallway. Shepard keyed in the entry code quickly and Liara shoved her into the room as soon as the door opened, pulling at Shepard's shirt sharply until she heard the ominous pop of a button.

"What do you have against buttons?" Shepard laughed, shrugging out of the shirt and turning to unzip Liara's dress quickly.

"Where did your tie go? I had an idea for that."

"I thought of something better." Shepard swooped down to grab the tie, capturing Liara's arms and trapping them above her head.

"No." Liara's eyes snapped with a warning of temper to come, but Shepard ignored her as she looped the silk about her wrists, tightening it until she was satisfied..

Liara's knees buckled as she backed up to the edge of the bed, followed soon after by Shepard, divested of her pants. "Don't argue, or I'll gag you with the belt."

She winked playfully, but there was a spark in Liara's eyes that said she would remember the threat and pay it forward in spades. Shepard crawled over her, bare now, the remains of her suit cast carelessly to the floor. Liara gasped as Shepard straddled her, pulling one leg over her hip and thrusting into Liara's center. Liara keened as Shepard moved faster in her desperation, one hand rising to rake down the back of her neck, leaving angry welts that Liara knew would linger until morning. She bit down onto Shepard's shoulder, teeth scoring a mark into the flesh there. Only fair that they should both carry a memento of tonight.

Shepard's trembling hands pushed her shoulders into the mattress, using the leverage to force herself up once more; Liara could feel her wetness mingling with Shepard's while they frantically bucked against each other. She tugged at the binding on her hands, desperate to touch and Shepard finally released her. Liara clutched at her hips, holding her close; her toes curled into the sheets, feet going numb as her release approached. Just a little more…

Liara cried out as Shepard pushed her hand between them, slipping her fingers in and thrusting in time with her movements until finally all the tension in Liara's body dissolved, leaving her limp and satisfied, but only for a moment- she had made a promise, and if Shepard had forgotten it then at least she hadn't.

Shepard jerked when Liara pulled her farther up to her chest, forcing her hips down and scooting farther down the bed until she could feel her hot breath on her lips. That was all the thought she had time for before Liara pushed her tongue into her, fingers spreading her lips to give her better access. Shepard held her there unconsciously, her grip alternately tightening and slackening off as Liara increased her pace, her thumb circling Shepard's clit. Shepard gave a muffled cry, back arching until she would have fallen if not for Liara's protective grip. Their eyes locked and Shepard smiled temptingly.

Liara smirked, "I told you I would make you scream."

Shepard crawled down her body slowly, catching her lips in a quick kiss, "Remember. Turnabout's fair play."


End file.
